Getting "back on track" with food and weight can feel exhausting especially when you know what to do, but can't seem to stay consistent. The food noise is loud, self-criticism creeps in, and the harder you try, the worse you feel. For many women, this cycle repeats again and again, leaving them frustrated and disconnected from themselves. In this episode, Leslie explains why lasting change doesn't come from forcing yourself back into a plan, but from examining who you are being. She shares how identity, emotional safety, self-relationship, and fear-based patterns silently shape eating behaviors, weight struggles, and self-trust. When you stay stuck in perfectionism, isolation, people-pleasing, or avoidance, getting back on track becomes impossible no matter how much willpower you use. You'll hear Leslie's personal journey through food addiction, bingeing, weight gain, and emotional rock bottom and how she discovered that food was never the real problem. Through emotional work, hypnosis, and identity shifts, she learned that permanent change begins when you stop fighting yourself and start creating an unconditionally supportive relationship with who you are becoming. When that shifts, food, weight, and consistency naturally follow. "Who you are being determines how you eat, how you feel, and whether lasting change is even possible. You don't get back on track by trying harder you get back on track by becoming someone new." – Leslie Thornton What you will learn from this episode: 00:05 – Why asking "Who are you being?" is the key to permanent change 01:11 – How identity directly impacts food noise, weight struggles, and self-trust 02:18 – Reflecting on past success: who you were being when things felt easy 03:44 – Why passion, obsession, and mission often fade and what that means 04:10 – Why desperation and forcing yourself back on track doesn't work 05:45 – How knowing what to do is different from being able to do it 06:48 – Signs that you're being asked to evolve instead of repeating the past 07:27 – Discovering that food addiction and food drama are not permanent 08:35 – Letting go of the belief that you'll always struggle with food 09:51 – A powerful moment that challenged the identity of being "addicted." 10:36 – The painful in-between phase: binging, weight gain, and confusion 11:45 – Why rock-bottom moments often lead to the biggest breakthroughs 13:27 – Uncovering harsh self-talk and how it fuels bingeing and shame 15:46 – Realizing the problem isn't food it's the relationship with yourself 16:44 – How conditional self-love keeps you stuck in perfectionism 17:53 – Why healing emotionally changes food, weight, and relationships 18:30 – How hypnosis supports rebuilding safety and self-trust 19:13 – Taking inventory of how you're being during stressful seasons 20:15 – Fear-based ways of being that block freedom and peace with food 22:14 – Why isolation, people-pleasing, and overthinking don't work 24:59 – Asking better questions to identify what's really keeping you stuck 26:48 – How awareness creates change only when followed by action 28:27 – Doing the opposite of the pattern that keeps you in the ditch 29:59 – Why action is required to meet the universe halfway 31:55 – The importance of being mission-driven, passionate, and supported 34:27 – How life transitions affect food and weight more than willpower 36:15 – Choosing hard conversations over a lifetime of feeling bad 38:18 – Why food and weight are symptoms, not the root problem 40:00 – Expecting success and believing you're meant to feel good 41:02 – Identifying the life area that's asking for your attention 42:55 – Final invitation: pick up your mat and take action today Valuable Resources: Join my next LIVE masterclass Join the 8-week Fastrack to Food Freedom Program -Guaranteed mental and emotional freedom from food Connect With Leslie Thornton: Book A Clarity Call Website Facebook LinkedIn Email: Leslie@hpwl.co If you enjoy the podcast, Would you please consider leaving a quick review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes in under 60 seconds? It brightens our day and helps us bring you incredible guests for top-notch content. Plus, I cherish reading every review! Click here to make a difference!
